Wire-splicing apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

Apparatus and method are described for splicing together the corresponding wire-ends of opposing sections of communications cables using solderless U-connectors in multiple-layer modules.



1. A body member adapted for assembly with cooperating base and cover members in providing modular connection between corresponding wires of opposing cable-ends, said body member comprising an elongate insulating body having opposing faces, transversely grooved across one face to provide a series of parallel open-ended wire-receiving channels, transversely ridged across the opposing face to provide a corresponding series of parallel wire-supporting ridges, and containing contact elements extending through said body between said channels and the opposing ridges for making electrical connection between wires supported along substantially the entire length thereof which lie within said channels and wires supported along substantially the entire length thereof which lie on said ridges.
 2. The body member of claim 1 wherein wire-cutting blades are disposed across said channels in position to sever the free ends of wires forcibly inserted in said channels.
 3. The body member of claim 1 wherein said insulating body consists of mating upper and lower segments and said contact elements each consist of two mating partial elements, said partial elements making interengaging spring contact within said body member and releasably retaining said segments together in mating configuration.
 4. The body member of claim 1 wherein said insulating body is perforate to provide access openings extending from one edge to each of said contact elements.
 5. A wire-connection sub-module assembly comprising: an elongate insulating base member transversely grooved across one face to provide a series of parallel wire-receiving channels and containing wire-cutting blades disposed across said channels; and a lower insulating body segment having an exposed face for mating with an upper segment and an outer face transversEly ridged to provide a series of parallel ridges fitting into said channels, and containing contact element components with one end extending through said segment at said ridges, and terminating at the other end in a spring contact member for making interengaging spring contact with another said contact member in a mating upper body segment; and wire-ends enclosed within said channels by said ridges, extending from adjacent said blades and in conductive contact with said contact element components.
 6. A wire-connection sub-module assembly comprising: an upper insulating body segment having an exposed face for mating with a lower segment and an outer face transversely grooved to provide a series of parallel wire-receiving channels, containing wire-cutting blades disposed across said channels, and containing contact element components with one end extending through said segment into said channel and terminating at the other end in a spring contact member for making interengaging spring contact with another said contact member in a mating lower body segment; an elongate insulating cover member transversely ridged across one face to provide a series of parallel ridges fitting into said channels; and wire-ends enclosed within said channels by said ridges, extending from adjacent said blades and in conductive contact with said contact element components.
 7. A multiple wire-splice module comprising interengaging elongate insulating base and cover members and at least one body member, wherein: said base is transversely grooved to provide a first series of parallel open-ended individual wire-receiving channels; each said body is transversely ridged across one face to provide a first series of parallel ridges fitting within the corresponding channels of an adjacent said base, is correspondingly transversely grooved across the other face to provide a second series of parallel open-ended individual wire-receiving channels corresponding to said first series of channels, and contains contact elements in alignment longitudinally of said body, one between each said ridge and its corresponding groove, for making electrical connection between wires supported within said channels and wires supported on said ridges; and said cover is transversely ridged to provide a second series of parallel ridges fitting within the corresponding channels of a said body.
 8. The module of claim 7 wherein a wire-cutting blade is disposed across each said channel in said base and in each said body in position to sever the free ends of wires laid in said channels during pressure-assembly of said module.
 9. The module of claim 7 wherein said body member is multiperforate from one edge to provide independent access to each said contact element with a test probe.
 10. The module of claim 7 wherein said body member comprises two mating half-body members and said contact elements each have two wire-contacting tips extending oppositely from and perpendicularly to a flat center disposed between said half-body members.
 11. The module of claim 10 wherein said body member is multiperforate from one edge and wherein the edge perforations provide access to the contact elements adjacent the juncture of one of said tips with said flat center.
 12. The module of claim 7 wherein each of said base, body and cover members includes extended end segments terminally slotted to provide generally L-shaped slot means for aligning and supporting said members.
 13. The module of claim 7 wherein each of said base, body and cover members is provided with external indicia for indicating the location of mated wire-pairs within said module.
 14. A communications cable splice assembly comprising two cable-ends having a plurality of wire-pair bundles each containing a number of wire-pairs, the individual wires of the opposing wire-pairs of the two cable-ends being connected together within a series of modules as defined in claim 9, said modules being disposed circumferentially of the common extended axis of said cable-ends and With said perforate edges facing outwardly from said axis, the entire splice assembly being enclosed within a sealed protective cover.
 15. The splice assembly of claim 14 wherein the said modules are pre-assembled in sub-groups which are incorporated into the circumferential assembly.
 16. A modular sub-assembly comprising base and body members as defined in claim 7, and wire-ends enclosed within the channels of said base by the ridges of said body member, said wires being in conductive contact with said contact elements.
 17. A modular sub-assembly comprising body and cover members as defined in claim 7, and wire-ends enclosed within the channels of said body member by the ridges of said cover member, said wires being in conductive contact with said contact elements.
 18. A pre-assemblage of circuit components for introduction into a communications cable circuit, comprising a plurality of components each connected into a least one sub-assembly of a module as defined in claim 7, said sub-assembly comprising a said body member, and a said base or cover member.
 19. A wire-retaining cover member adapted to overlie at least a portion of the transversely grooved face of a body member as defined in claim 2 and comprising a flat insulating panel with downturned edges, transversely slotted to provide a series of parallel wire-receiving slots corresponding in position with the channels of said body, each slot being widened at a point corresponding to the position of the wire-cutting blade in a corresponding channel of said body and extending from just beyond said point to the opposite edge of said panel, the walls of said slots being provided with wire-retaining projections.
 20. A multiple wire-splice module comprising a body member as defined in claim 2 and, overlying at least a portion of the transversely grooved face thereof, a wire-retaining cover member comprising a flat insulating panel having downturned edges overlapping said grooved face, and transversely slotted in line with the underlying channels of said body, each slot being widened in line with the underlying wire-cutting blade, each slot extending from just beyond said blade to the opposite edge, and the walls of each slot being provided with wire-retaining projections.
 21. Method of splicing communications cable comprising: assembling a plurality of wire-pairs from a first cable end with the wire-ends laid in appropriate sequence within the channels of a connector module base member transversely grooved to provide a first series of parallel open-ended individual wire-receiving channels; placing over and in alignment with said base member a module body member, transversely ridged across one face to provide a first series of parallel ridges fitting within the corresponding channels of said base member and correspondingly transversely grooved across the other face to provide a second series of parallel open-ended individual wire-receiving channels corresponding to said first series of channels and further provided with contact elements in alignment longitudinally of said body, said elements being positioned between said ridges and their corresponding channels, said elements having opposed wire-contacting tips for making interconnection between wires laid along said ridges and within said channels; assembling a corresponding plurality of wire-pairs from a second cable-end with the wire-ends laid in appropriate sequence within the transverse channels of said body member; placing a module cover member, transversely ridged to provide a second series of parallel ridges fitting within the corresponding channels of said body, over and in alignment with said body member; and forcing said members together to complete the splice between opposing wires.
 22. The method of claim 21 including the steps of severing the surplus wire-ends against wire-cutting blades disposed across said channels in said base and said body during said forcing together, and removing the severed ends from said module.
 23. The mEthod of claim 22 including the step of disposing and securing said modules, after completion of the splicing operation, around the periphery of the cable joint area and parallel with said cable, and with multiperforate access edges of said modules directed outwardly for access from without said area. 